Bob Butler filled 92 years of life, most of it in the public eye.
1927: On Jan. 23, Robert Lee Butler is born to Homer and Eva (Clarida) Butler in the family home at 704 N. Garfield St., in Marion.
1937: Becomes a Christian; is baptized by the late Rev. Hubert Barnett and joins First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Marion.
1943: Achieves rank of Eagle Scout.
1944: Graduates from Marion High School, where he was editor of the school newspaper and played on the MHS football team.
1946: Enlists in the U.S. Army and is stationed in Korea, serving in counterintelligence in 1946 and 1947.
1948: Continues his education, first at SIU-C and then at University of Illinois, where he gets his bachelor's degree.
1951: Marries Louetta Sanders from near Pittsburg (she was working at the Bargain Store on the Marion Square).
1952: Graduates with a law degree from University of Illinois.
1953: Hires on as an assistant state's attorney under Williamson County State's Attorney Carl Sneed; would work there for 10 years.
1957: Beth Ann Butler, Bob and Louetta's daughter, is born.
1958: Is named one of the original seven members to the newly-formed Marion Plan Commission.
1961: Makes some noise in local politics as he sets the plan commission's agenda, calling for additional off-street parking, new water mains, shopping centers, increased fire protection and a new courthouse, calling the one in the Marion square a "detriment" to the local business community.
1963: Begins a mayoral campaign in a crowded field, featuring sitting mayor Bob Cooksey, commissioners A.R. Douglas and Bob Yearack, and former city commissioner Raymond McCormick. Butler finishes second in the primary, which gets him into the runoff election against Cooksey two days later. Butler wins, 2,914 votes to 2,227.
1967: A rematch for mayor between Butler and Cooksey ends with Butler winning, 2,872 votes to 2,251. Cooksey then retires from politics.
1970: Is a party to the last Illinois Constitutional Convention, which lasted about 10 months in 1970-71.
1971: Wins a third term against challenger Robert L. Connell; 2,298 votes to 1,932 votes.
1972: Makes a run for the Illinois State Senate, but loses in the Republican primary to James Eatherly of Galatia.
1975: Wins a fourth term, unopposed.
1976: Makes a second attempt at running for the Illinois legislature, this time as the Republican candidate for state house. He is defeated in the general election by Democrat Clyde Choate of Anna.
1979: Wins a fifth term, unopposed.
1983: Wins his sixth term against challenger William F. Bridges; 1,996 votes to 620 votes.
1987: Wins his seventh term by beating Ben Bruce, 3,044 votes to 2,013.
1991: Is elected to his eighth term by beating Ron Emery, 2,573 votes to 411.
1995: Beats challenger David Hancock 2,864 to 1,965 votes to win his ninth term.
1999: Wins his 10th term as mayor, unopposed.
2003: Wins his 11th term unopposed.
2007: Wins his 12th term by besting challenger Donald Holman, 2,525 votes to 584 votes; makes some hay when he publicly opposes Illinois lifting the caps on utility rates and is interviewed by the The New York Times.
2011: Gets 2,268 votes to win his 13th term, against challengers Bob Owens (1,219 votes) and Carolyn Swartos, (457 votes).
2015: Is elected to his 14th term, getting 2,159 votes to beat Ann Colborn, with 676 votes and Charles Montgomery, with 172 votes. With this election he passes Frank Caliper of Colp as the longest serving mayor in the history of Illinois. On Aug. 12, he officially opens the first "diverging diamond" intersection in Illinois, on The Hill Avenue in Marion.
2017: Turns 90 in January and announces he will not run for re-election in 2019. He later announces he will retire early, in 2018, only partway through his term.
2018: Bob Butler retires as mayor of Marion on Jan. 31, 2018, after nearly 55 years in office. Commissioner Anthony Rinella is sworn in as mayor on Feb. 1 to finish Butler's final term.
2019: Supports Rinella for mayor in the April election, cutting a commercial for him that marks one of his final public appearances. Robert Lee Butler dies at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 22.
